Black Pumas make their mark in Scotland

29 Jul 2014

Poultry farmers and agricultural contractors William Pollock & Son are causing quite a stir in the Midlothian region with two Case IH Puma tractors which have been personalised in their own unique livery.

The Pollock family has farmed at Easter Norton Farm, Ingliston, less than half a mile to the south of Edinburgh Airport, since 1911. A dairy farm until 1969, the operation now includes 25,000 broiler breeders which produce eggs for the world’s leading poultry supplier together with an agricultural contracting operation which serves a number of farming businesses in East and Midlothian.

“We have been farming here for 105 years but only diversified into agricultural contracting six years ago. Since then we have expanded that side of the operation to meet the growing demand for our services,” explains Adam Pollock, the sixth generation involved in the family business.

“My father William and I are both interested in pretty much anything with wheels: cars, trucks, tractors, you name it. As relative newcomers to agricultural contracting we wanted to do something that would help to differentiate our business, get people talking and help us to make our mark.

“We’ve been enthusiastic Case IH users for some years. We started with a Case IH MXU 125 in 2007, bought a Puma 140 the following year then added a Puma 165 in 2010. Our original plan was to keep tractors for three years, but a leading arable farming and specialist potato grower in East Lothian wanted us to use tractors with the AdBlue system to meet the requirements of a large customer. We bought a new Puma 215 in 2012 and recently added a new Puma 230 CVX.

“The original idea was to buy one of the Platinum Edition Puma tractors which Case IH built to mark the production of the 40,000th Puma tractor at its St Valentin factory in Austria. That featured an exclusive Exterior Appearance Package with black metallic paint and chromed exhaust, plus a Comfort Package with high-comfort red leather driver and passenger seating, a leather steering wheel and special carpets.

“Having seen one at LAMMA 2014 we liked the idea but wanted to personalise it by adding our own special twist to produce something that was unique to us. After discussing it with Case IH we worked together to come up with our own version. Our new Puma 230 arrived one Friday in June and very soon after, we had removed all of the panels and a specialist from the local Case IH dealer had removed the AFS system.

“The aim was to keep elements of the Case IH colour scheme but we decided to incorporate a subtle metallic red fleck within the black paint instead of the silver which Case IH used for the Platinum Edition.

“We worked closely with the Jamie Scott Bodyshop in Kirknewton to achieve the required finish. After preparing all the surfaces a base primer coat was applied, followed by the gloss black paint, then a coat of lacquer containing the flakes of metallic red to produce a very subtle effect. This was followed by two more thick coats of lacquer to give a hard wearing, high-gloss finish that really stands out. Jamie Scott did a very thorough job, so none of the original paintwork is visible and the local dealer refitted the AFS system to preserve the warranty.

“Being used to modifying cars, we didn’t just stop at the exterior and wanted to give the interior the same level of attention. We liked the idea of having the interior and steering wheel in leather because it is easy to keep clean and retains its appearance over time.

“Fortunately we live close to an internationally-renowned company which specialises in creating bespoke interiors for cars, planes and boats. At the Transcal factory in Livingston we were able to select the exact type and colour of leather to use for re-trimming, red for the driver and passenger seats, with black leather for the steering wheel and red stitching.

“Changing the exterior and interior appearance of the Puma 230 CVX took about two weeks, including fitting the red carpet, installing LED marker lights on the cab and a brushed aluminium exhaust shield, to give a very subtle appearance. The tractor looks fantastic in its new livery and was exhibited on the Case IH stand at the Royal Highland Show.

“We like Case IH tractors for their understated good looks, ease of use, reliability and value. The additions we have made simply add an extra dimension, making the Puma 230 CVX really stand out and providing great pride of ownership.

“In fact, we were so delighted with the way that it turned out that our two-year-old Puma 215 has been given the same treatment. The two tractors have attracted lots of attention and comment, so they have done their job in terms of getting us noticed.”

MEDIA CONTACTS

Julian Cooksley, Kendalls Communications

01394 610022

julian.cooksley@kendallscom.co.uk

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Case IH is the professionals' choice, drawing on more than 175 years of heritage and experience in the agricultural industry. A powerful range of tractors, combines and balers supported by a global network of highly professional dealers dedicated to providing our customers with the superior support and performance solutions to be productive and effective in the 21st century.

Case IH is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a World leader in Capital Goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of the Borsa Italiana (MI: CNHI). More information about CNH Industrial can be found online at www.cnhindustrial.com